1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to potentiated microbiocidal agents and more particularly relates to antiseptic biguanide compositions potentiated with alkyl glycosides having applications in the oral health field.
2. Description of Related Art
Alkyl glycosides, their production and their use, particularly as surfactants, have been known for some time. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,839,318; 3,772,269; 3,707,535 and 3,547,828; German patent Nos. 1,905,523; 1,943,689; 2,036,472 and 3,001,064; and also European patent No. 77,167. Alkyl glycosides are typically produced by reacting glucose or oligosaccharides with alcohols containing from 8 to 25 carbon atoms and more particularly with alcohols containing from 10 to 18 carbon atoms. Alkyl glycosides have been used in a variety of commercial applications particularly as biodegradable surfactants.
Investigations into the microbiological activities of alkyl glycosides have shown that they exhibit no significant antimicrobial activity even at concentrations as high as 10,000 ppm. Furthermore, combinations of alkyl glycosides with quaternary ammonium compounds are similarly undistinguished in their antimicrobial effect. While quaternary ammonium compounds exhibit bactericidal activity, their use with an alkyl glycoside surfactant, as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,547,828, produces no increased or unexpected bactericidal effect.